Danielle Barkema, who undertook the study for her thesis at ISU, said: 'Based on this information,
wearing high heels puts individuals at greater risk for
developing osteoarthritis. And it seems to be that the higher
the heel height, the greater the risk.'

Ms Barkema, working with Professor Phil Martin, selected three different heel heights - flat, two
inches, and 3.5 inches - and had each of the 15 women in her
study complete walking trials.

Using sensors,
accelerometers and lab equipment such as a force platform and cameras, she was able to capture motion and force data
and translate them into results that could change the way
millions of women select their footwear.

While previous studies have examined the effect of high heels
on joints, the ISU researchers found that heel height changes
walking characteristics such as slower speeds and shorter
stride lengths.

As the heels got higher so too did the compression on the inside of the knee.

'This means that prolonged wearing and walking in heels
could, over time, contribute to joint degeneration and knee
osteoarthritis,' Ms Barkema said of her results, due to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of
Biomechanics, at Brown University.

'I think Danielle's exactly right. Wearing high heels
regularly puts a person at risk and the higher the heel, the
greater the risk,' Professor Martin said.

RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

Share

Ms Barkema also found that wearing heels - especially those two inches and
higher - alters body posture by changing joint positions at the
ankle, knee, hip, and trunk, which can create strain on the
lower back.

'Visually, it's quite apparent that somebody's
posture is altered when wearing high heels,' she said.

'We noted those changes in posture (in the study), as well
as various joint angles, such as the knee and ankle angle. The
most dramatic change occurs at the ankle.'

The research was inspired by Ms
Barkema's twin sister, Ashley, who saw the physical toll
regular high heel wear was having on her co-workers.

'Ashley began work as a retail manager at a department store in Chicago a few years ago,' Ms Barkema
said.

'She, as well as most of her co-workers, wore high
heels on a daily basis. She noticed a lot of the women,
especially older women who had been wearing high heels
regularly, had various problems - problems with their knees
and hips and so on.'

Danielle said she was not advising women to stop
wearing high heels altogether.

'I tell my friends to try to wear high heels in moderation
and, if possible, to wear lower heels,' she said.

Share or comment on this article:

Beware high heels! How stilettos compress the joints and could cause osteoarthritis